Why should Tatsunoshi have all the fun? I'm glad his game thread is locked, but we do need somewhere for questions and comments right? Just mention which game you're referring to when posting here so we can keep track between the two threads.

1) You mentioned in the Game Journal 31 review that 32 will be dedicated to Sekigahara games. Do you know if it has been released in Japan yet? I have someone ready to buy it for me when I give the word.

2) Have you ever played or reviewed Reiner Knizia's Samurai game? I looked through the thread and couldn't find it, but it wouldn't be the first time I missed a post here._________________Over a Hedge

Yes, it is released (as well as War Game In Japanese History 3's Sekigahara game)-I got it last week. Here's a preview pic:

I'm working on a post for both the gaming thread and the Shogun-ki on all three along with some Sekigahara books released in September for the recent anniversary of the battle. It won't see the light of day for a couple of weeks since I'm working on a booklet for inclusion in Animeigo's upcoming 'Cruel Tales of Bushido' DVD release, doing a bunch of haunt publicity, and reading my way through another project.

I have the Reiner Samurai game but have never really gotten around to playing it or examining it in detail. My first impression when I got it was that (like a lot of European style games) it was highly abstracted and built on some rather faulty assumptions-but still looked like it would be a fun play. I know there was a card game recently released based on the board game-I should have that in another week or so.

There's also going to be our first guest review on the gaming thread. Jidai-geki star Brick McBurly will be reviewing the western-produced boardgame Genji, which challenges the player to follow in the amorous footsteps of the notorious womanizing Heian nobleman Genji. We figured only the Brickster could do the game justice.

Thanks for the GJ update and card game info, I'll have to check them both out. Regarding Samurai, you're right that it is an abstract game--kind of like an accessible version of Go. There are three things that recommend the game 1) stylish components 2) its re-creation of a Yin Yang dynamic and 3) even your non-gamer friends will enjoy playing it with you. We used to play it with another couple who insisted that we pulled the game out every time they visited. It was either that addictive or they couldn't stand our company otherwise!

Holy crap! There really is a Genji board game. I thought this was just a Brick-inspired joke. Can't wait to read that guest review. I once had a notion for a Heian inspired board game, but couldn't get it to the actual "idea" stage because of my inability to formulate rules with competitive balance._________________Over a Hedge

Brick: Thanks for the stimulating review of Genji. Even if there is no hope of experiencing your luck while playing the game, it still looks like it would be worth buying.

Sekigahara Blog: I happened to receive my copy of Game Journal 32 last week, so the detailed blog entry was most welcome. The battle maps look accurate, and my wife actually enjoyed a mini-history lesson about how the battle played out. One question about Kessen Sekigahara: are the CG images prints in the magazine or does it come with a CD to view on a computer?_________________Over a Hedge

Is there any word if Samurai Warriors 3 is coming out on PS3? I know right now it's only a Wii title, but I don't see why they should have all the fun.

I almost picked up Way of The Samurai 3 this weekend, but I remembered how incredibly boring the first 2 installments were. Is there any improvement to the third one? The fight engine on the first two were not up to par IMO, and the missions all seemed kind of pointless.

BTW Tats, I know you can't wait to download the Deadliest Warrior video game. America's best TV show featuring a Samurai AND a Viking in now playable! _________________A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner. This person is genteel.
- Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Sengoku Musou/Samurai Warriors 2 was a lot of fun-much better than 1, in my opinion. A dose of history with a dose of good gameplay and some humor and drama thrown in. Games by Koei are extremely popular in Japan but are routinely trashed by Western reviewers, who lack a proper frame of reference and are usually obsessed with First Person Shooters, GTA, and sports games.

Don't look for Sengoku Musou 3 to be released on anything but the Wii-Koei has stated there are no plans to release it on the PS3 or XBOX 360 (but they've changed their minds before). It should end up coming to the NA Wii, but no release date has been set. Early reactions to the game have been mixed. There's a lot of bitterness that it was moved to the Wii and people that have gotten used to Senogku Basara style gameplay (where all your allies can die and it doesn't matter) are complaining that allies die too easily, causing them to lose. Some are complaining that it doesn't use the Wiimote and nunchuk contollers to full effect (which I'm thankful for), the frame rate is low, there aren't any second costumes, etc. Overall it seems to be holding its own, with most players stating that if you liked the previous installments you'll like this one better.

If you didn't like Way Of The Samurai one or two, you won't like this one. I loved it, and have played it to death. If you're looking for straight out action or top of the line graphics (a Ninja Gaiden type game), you won't enjoy it. If you're looking for an interesting interactive story with lots of customizing options (including forging your own swords), loads of different branches and paths to take, and a real feeling that your actions control the game, you'll enjoy it. It truly is like an interactive chanbara film. You're rewarded for 'good' samurai behavior and penalized for acting like the bad guys in movies, but you're allowed to act however you want and ally yourself with any or all factions. As far as the in-game jobs, they reflect what a ronin would be hired for by different factions in everyday life-they're not really meant to tie in with the storyline at all. Missions from the townspeople and farmers include tracking down criminals, thieves, kidnappers, finding missing children and lost items and stuff like that. The local daimyo sends you out on jobs to maintain law and order and collect taxes. The 'yakuza' faction has you alternately scaring and helping out the locals. The one flaw the game has is that in a short period of time you can make your character invincible for all intents and purposes-it took the final boss character over 15 minutes to kill my character even with him standing there doing nothing to defend himself, so playing on instant kill is the way to go (one sword hit and it's all over).

Of course, the Musashi/Yakuza PS3 game from last year beat it on this front hands down, but it only had one real story path. Plus it was never released in the US...

Last edited by Tatsunoshi on Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:32 am; edited 1 time in total

I think the main reason why Koei games in general get a bad rap in America is b/c they are considered button mashers. I think the problem is that most American gamers take themselves too seriously. I like to have a good time when I play video games and forget about my worries. (That is until I run into a difficult level.) I really like the Empires edition of both Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors. It's nice to mix in a little strategy with the seizure inducing battle game play.

It does sound a little disappointing that there aren't any costume alternatives in SW3. That's always one of my favorite parts of the game._________________A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner. This person is genteel.
- Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Of course, the Musashi/Yakuza PS3 game from last year beat it on this front hands down, but it only had one real story path. Plus it was never released in the US...

Started playing Kenzan over the weekend, and I'm loving it. The game was made for me, there's so much stuff to do._________________Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
- Seneca

How does the Osaka 1614-15 Game Journal 36 compare to others you've tried that cover the same campaign? Is it one of the best?

The Yakuza game in Command Journal Japan #75 sounds fun. Is it more accessible to casual gamers than a typical war game? How much does that issue cost?

The GJ #36 is the best sim of the Osaka Campaign...then again, it's the ONLY simulation of the Osaka campaigns I know of. There are four other Osaka games (with a couple more if you count miniatures) but they are tactical/operational level sims of the Tennoji battle (the penultimate battle of the summer campaign).

CJ#75 is much more accessible to casual gamers than your usual war game-it's kind of a RPG/sim combo. Basic rules, basic map, nice flavor. The issue is cover priced at Y3,600 and came out thee years ago. There's also a Meiji themed suguroku game in the issue-that's what the flip side of the map actually is.

Thanks for the detailed Shogun Total War 2 review. I was an avid player of the first game, but I doubt that I will commit the time to the second game, being at a different stage of my life and all that (the chess set does look interesting though...). The reason I played the first game was to get a crash course in some of the basics of the Sengoku era like Japanese province names and some of the major historical figures. Once acclimatized, I found it a lot easier to keep track of names and places when reading Japanese history books. But now that I have that knowledge, I just don't feel the need to play the new and improved version. That's just me though. I'm curious about how many other former players plan to dive into the sequel. Any non-gamers thinking of giving it a shot?_________________Over a Hedge